Ellen Craswell
| Ellen Craswell | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 25, 1932 Bothell, Washington, U.S. |
| Died | April 5, 2008 (aged 75) Poulsbo, Washington, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Alma mater | University of Washington, Seattle |
Ellen Craswell (25 May 1932 – 5 April 2008) was an American politician, a former Washington state legislator, and a candidate in the 1996 Washington gubernatorial election. She ran as a Republican, but grew disillusioned with the party and later joined the American Heritage Party, the Washington State affiliate of the Constitution Party. She resided in Poulsbo, Washington with her husband and fellow politician, Bruce Craswell.
Ellen Howe was born in Bothell on May 25, 1932 and grew up in Silverdale, the fifth child in a household of seven children. Her father died when she was nine years old and her mother raised the family. In 1955, she married Bruce Craswell, a dentist whom she had met in college and who was involved in politics.
Craswell first was elected to Washington's 23rd Legislative District. She received 33.69% of the vote against two Democrats in the 1976 primary, before going on to defeat Democrat Ray Aardal, with 54.63% of the vote. She won landslides in both 1978 and 1980, when she became a state Senator. From 1984 and onwards, she faced a series of competitive races, being reelected only after a recount in 1988 and being defeated by Democrat Betti Sheldon in 1992. During her tenure as a senator, she earned the nickname "Senator No" for her steady refusal to vote for any tax increases. In 1987 she was appointed as the first female president pro tempore of the Senate, a position she held until the end of her career.
Primary results
General results
After Democrat Mike Lowry announced that he would not seek re-election, Craswell announced that she would run. During her legislative career, she was initially identified as a Ronald Reagan supporter, but as time went on, she gained a strong identity as an evangelical Christian and member of the Christian right. Craswell was very open about her religious identity, prompting concern among some in the Republican Party that she would have difficulty in moderately liberal Washington. During the campaign, Craswell successfully appealed to suburban conservatives with more moderate social leanings by promising to repeal more than a third of state taxes and cut 30 percent of the state budget. In September 1996, she narrowly gained the primary nod, receiving 15.26% of the primary vote and defeating her nearest Republican opponent Dale Foreman, who received 13.37%.
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